I may have spoken too soon when I suggested one use Fedex or UPS above DHL courier services.
On August 26th we got a request from our son for the normal criminal background check needed for the new job he was very excited about. Naturally, he tried to obtain this check online but that was not to be.
That same day our daughter contacted a lawyer friend of hers to see how this could be accomplished but we soon found out it was easier to have a family member make this request.
Our daughter called the office in Chapala and was told what she would need. She went there armed with the required paperwork but, of course, as often is the case, what she took was not what was needed.
We found out what was needed and let our son know and he had the required information on its way to us by DHL August 28th and it was to arrive on Friday, August 30th.
As I wrote about in a previous blog the package he sent by DHL to us here in Mexico arrived in Brisbane, Australia. It then went to Sydney, Australia and on to Los Angeles then to Cincinnati and we finally received it September 6th which was one week late.
We scanned and sent the necessary document Monday September 9th as the office in Chapala is closed on Fridays.
We then found out the original was needed and for the document to be valid it had to be signed by a Director General in Guadalajara along with his official stamp. By some miracle our daughter accomplished this the following day and had it on its way to Toronto from Fedex Head Office in Guadalajara at 10:55 am by Priority Mail and was assured it would arrive the following day by noon.
Not surprisingly, this was not the case. The package got held up in customs in Memphis and missed the connection. Not only did it not arrive as promised on Wednesday, September 11th it did not arrive Thursday September 12th because of another customs hold up in Mississauga. Just as a point of interest the package did clear both customs snafus just not in time to make it on the next plane/truck.
I contacted Fedex and had sharp words with them about this situation. They responded that customs delays were out of their hands which I told them was unacceptable. I asked for the supervisor and after a few more well- chosen words Fedex offered my money back and I would receive a check in 15 days.
I am happy to report that the package was delivered before 10:00 am this morning Friday, September 13th. The entire process took 18 days and it should have been handily accomplished in a week.
Now we will wait and see if I do, in fact, get my money back. I think that assuring overnight delivery and taking your money for Priority service is perhaps ill-advised without a caveat or two about what is or is not under their control.